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Pokémon—mysterious, magical beings—are the most remarkable lifeforms on this planet, constantly revealing awe-inspiring feats.
And at this very moment, Delia's Cyndaquil, once again showcased just how incredible Pokémon can be with its own performance.
No matter how imaginative one might be, Liam never would've believed that a low-level Cyndaquil could unleash such a powerful blaze that lit up the sky. Even under the effects of Blaze, this kind of phenomenon was unheard of. There was simply no logical explanation—except to call it a miracle.
"Cynda... quil..."
As Cyndaquil closed its mouth, the sky-engulfing flames dissipated rapidly. But the moment the attack ended, Cyndaquil's entire body slumped.
The flames on its back stopped flaring, its eyes drooped shut again, and even standing on all fours, it was wobbling with exhaustion.
"Deli... deli..."
From the sky, a scorched black object plummeted and hit the ground with a thud. A closer look revealed it to be Kim's Delibird. The fallen Delibird let out a weak cry, coughed up a puff of black smoke, then tilted its head and stopped moving altogether, its eyes swirling in circles.
"Deli! Deli... Delibird is unable to battle! Cynda—gulp—Cyndaquil wins! The winner of this Gym Challenge is... Challenger Delia!!"
The moment Delibird was confirmed down, the referee loudly announced the outcome. When he turned to glance at Cyndaquil, he couldn't help but swallow hard.
A flicker of fear passed over his face—understandable, since everyone here had likely witnessed something that might only happen once in a lifetime. A true miracle.
"Uh... I lost?"
"Ah... I won?"
Kim and Delia spoke at the same time, both voices tinged with disbelief.
Kim blinked in surprise at Delia's words, then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You really are something—you win and still don't believe it! What an adorable kind of silly... That was a great battle. I'm satisfied. For a beginner, you fought wonderfully. Come back, Delibird—thank you for your efforts."
Looking pleased, Kim returned her fainted Delibird to its PokeBall. She then reached into the pocket of her sailor-style skirt and slowly pulled out a Gym Badge shaped like a pair of wings.
"I... I really won? I won! Yaaah! I actually won! Cyndaquil, you were amazing!!"
Finally realizing her victory, Delia jumped up from the floor in excitement and ran to her exhausted Cyndaquil. She gently scooped it into her arms, cradling it with immense care, her face beaming as she affectionately petted its head.
"Uhh..."
Kim had just lifted a foot to walk over, but paused awkwardly as Delia completely ignored her. Holding the badge up with one hand, Kim stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to say.
...
"Thank you so much, Gym Leader Kim! I'm really grateful for the battle—and for teaching me so many things! Thank you!!"
Roughly ten minutes later, at the elevator exit on the first floor of the Violet Gym, Delia stood respectfully with both hands cupping the wing-shaped badge, bowing deeply in thanks.
"Ya ya, no need to be so formal. You earned it. You defeated me with your strength, and this Zephyr Badge is proof of that. Take good care of it... Well then, until we meet again."
Kim smiled warmly, turned around, and entered the elevator. The doors slid shut behind her.
"Heeheehee... hehehee... kukuku..."
As the elevator doors closed, Delia's strange little giggles bubbled up as she stared down at the Zephyr Badge in her hands.
"What are you laughing about? You sound possessed!"
Liam, holding her shoulder bag and Pokémon Egg in one hand and her sun hat in the other, plopped the hat back on her head and pressed it down firmly, muttering with a smirk, "It's not that big a deal."
"Hey! Rude! Hmph, this is my very first Gym Badge! Oh my gosh, I never thought I'd ever earn one of these! This feeling—it's like a dream come true~!"
Delia pouted, swatted Liam's hand away, and held up the badge. She poked it against his cheek with excitement, practically trembling with joy.
"Pfft. It's just a first badge. When I got my first one, I didn't make such a fuss. You look so... goofy."
Liam grabbed her hand as she kept poking his face, moved it aside, and clicked his tongue.
"Who's calling me goofy?! This is the first badge I earned with my own strength! How can your first badge compare to mine?"
Delia yanked her arm free and snatched her bag from him. She pulled out the badge collection case Nurse Joy had given her earlier, carefully placed the Zephyr Badge inside, and then stashed the case away with satisfaction.
"Why does it sound like you're implying I didn't earn my badge properly? I worked really hard too, y'know! I fought the Gym Leader's ace Pokémon! It was a brutal battle! Kim was clearly holding back with you—she only used Pokémon that were just average. Not weak, but definitely not her main team. She clearly saw you as a beginner and didn't go all out."
Liam shrugged and handed Delia the Pokémon Egg. Noticing the faint frown on her face, he chuckled and gently poked her forehead.
"Sure, you made plenty of mistakes during that match—but overall, you did great. You've come a long way already. You've only been traveling for a few days and you've already earned your first Gym Badge. That's definitely something to be proud of. Congratulations, Delia. You've taken your first real step—now keep moving forward."
Liam had seen her growth firsthand. Compared to average trainers in this world, Delia could already be considered something of a prodigy. But comparing her to Liam wasn't fair—he didn't fall within the bounds of "normal."
"Hmph! First you criticize me, then you compliment me—what kind of person does that? I'm not talking to you anymore! I need to hurry to the Pokémon Center so everyone can get healed up."
Delia was obviously thrilled by Liam's praise, but she didn't show it. Pouting, she spun around dramatically and stormed off toward the Pokémon Center.
Watching her stomp away, Liam—who knew her personality all too well—raised a hand to hide his smile and quietly followed after her.